Lawmakers pass bill that would cut Hawaii Tourism Authority funding by $19M

A bill that will reduce funding for the Hawaii Tourism Authority passed final readings in the state Legislature this week. State House and Senate legislators approved on Tuesday the latest version of House Bill 862 that would cut the agency’s budget from $79 million to $60 million. It would also decrease funding for the Hawaii Convention Center from $16 million to $11 million per year. In a conference committee meeting last week, Rep. Sean Quinlan said that the bill will make “major transformational…